She cooks, he eats. He likes to do dishes, she doesn't. All is fair in Foodie Pleasure.

From Shore to Star

If you watch Food Network Star, viewers know one of the main components of the show is the development of the contestants’ POV. One of the POV’s we enjoyed most was Nicole Gaffney’s Coastal Cuisine cooking style, influenced by her family of fisherman and childhood on the Jersey shore. With this concept and her engaging personality, she made it all the way to the final episode as one of the last three finalists. We caught up with Nicole to learn more about her experience on the show and what she has been up to since the season ended.

NG: I have been infatuated with food since I can remember. My maternal grandparents were Sicilian and always cooked big dinners for the family. I grew up loving my time spent with them in the kitchen.

FP: Do you remember the first dish you ever created?

NG: Yes! The first dish I can remember cooking was for my birthday one year, I was probably 10. My mom wasn’t very into cooking and was always shooing me out of the kitchen. So for my birthday, she finally let me cook dinner for the family. Having no interest in recipes, I wanted to just do what felt right. I used to salivate whenever my mom would start her base for beef stew. She would brown cubes of beef in a pot with olive oil garlic. It always smelled heavenly, and I would pester her to just serve the meat like that, but she would always carry on with the stew as planned. So that day, I set out to make what I called “garlic steak.”

Whatever else I made was a blur, all I remember was that it was terrible. The meat was tough and under seasoned and the garlic had overbrowned and became bitter. I was extremely let down, but my parents actually pretended to like it.

FP: You have to start somewhere right?

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?

NG: I enjoy the creativity, and making people happy. It’s hard work, and it always feels great to finish a job. Nothing feels better than finishing a tough job.

What are some of your guilty pleasures? We like to call them foodie pleasures, hence the name 🙂

NG: Oh man, there are so many. I love food, and I love to eat, which is why I love to cook. It tends to work that way! I love sweets, especially pastries…the butterier the better. Anything with butter, really. Brown butter, even better. Doughnuts…OMG, actually, cronuts! I think they are truly worth the hype. Anything fried, especially a good onion ring. Battered, never breaded. Bread, bagels, pizza, pasta. Carbs, carbs, carbs. Bring on the gluten. Love that stuff!

FP: On FNS, you built a strong bond with Emma Frisch. Tell us about your friendship with her and how it evolved throughout the season.

NG: Yes! We bonded from the very beginning over our common interests and feelings about the competition. It was hard at first, both of us not knowing whether it was smart to trust one another. But it became apparent after long that we were both far more interested in helping each other than hurting. Food Network Star is a crazy, overwhelming experience. You are cut off from your families, friends, and society. Emma always felt like someone I brought along from home, and it was very comforting to have her around.

FP: One aspect of the show we enjoy is watching the friendships develop on the show.

Any tips for novice chefs?

NG: Accept the fact that you will mess up a lot, and know that it’s essential to learning. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things.

FP: If you hadn’t become a chef, what would you be doing? What are some of your non-cooking hobbies/interests?

NG: I’m honestly not sure. I love music, but I am terrible at playing it. I had a job working for the house of blues a few years ago as a runner- essentially running errands for the bands that played. I got such a kick out of hanging out back stage, and the whole element of production. I could have seen myself pursuing something like that. I don’t do well in an office setting. Aside from that, I love spending time outside with my friends and husband, at the beach, as much as possible. There is a small window for when we can enjoy nice weather at the beach in NJ, so we try to take advantage as much as possible. Also, gardening. I started as a hobby when we bought our first house about 6 years ago, and I’ve been learning and expanding ever since. I am a tomato junkie, and grow over 10 varieties a year.